The present invention relates to a deck for assembling on the inclined roof of a cylindrical storage structure. Cylindrical storage structures having inclined roofs, such as grain bins for the storage of grain, are typically filled by conveying the grain to the peak of the roof through an access which may be opened to admit the grain and closed to protect the grain from weather once the grain is in the grain bin. To ensure proper ventilation of the grain bin, several power exhaust fans are typically located on the inclined roof toward its top, and the fans are spaced from each around the curvature of the roof.
Once the grain has been admitted to the grain bin, the only reasonable access to these power exhaust fans to service them is from the roof of the grain bin. In order to facilitate the servicing of these power exhaust fans, the present inventor has offered a deck which is mounted on the roof of the grain bin in proximity to the exhaust fans to permit access to the fans from the roof by service personnel.
Grain bins come in a variety of sizes and configurations depending upon the manufacturer, and the location of the power exhaust fans along the incline of the roof frequently varies depending upon the grain bin manufacturer. Because of this and for other reasons, the deck which the present inventor has offered and which was to be assembled on any particular grain bin needed to be formed of components which were custom sized and shaped to fit the particular size and configuration of that manufacturer's bin. Thus, the dimensions of the various components of the deck, such as the deck plates, hand rails and the like, were custom sized and configured for each given grain bin.
The present invention has the purpose of overcoming the need for such customization of the sizes and shapes of the components needed to assemble a deck on a given grain bin. In the present invention, all of the components of the deck of the present invention may be of standard uniform size and shape without regard to the size of the grain bin or its configuration, the spacing of the roof ribs on the grain bin or fastener openings in the ribs, or the manufacturer of the grain bin. This substantially facilitates the assembly of the deck and substantially reduces the inventory of components needed to accommodate the several different grain bins that are currently on the market.
In one principal aspect of the present invention, a deck for the inclined roof of a generally cylindrical storage structure comprises an elongate plate extending substantially parallel to the incline of the roof and having an upper face and a lower face facing the roof, a first pair of openings longitudinally spaced from each other and adjacent one longitudinal edge of the plate, and a second pair of openings longitudinally spaced from each other and adjacent the other longitudinal edge of the plate. The spacing of the first pair of openings is substantially the same as the spacing of openings in the roof whereby the plate may be attached to the roof with the lower face facing the roof by fastening means extending through the first openings and the openings in the roof. A pair of ring segments spaced from each other in the direction of the incline of the roof extend substantially perpendicular to the elongate plate and are constructed and arranged to rest upon the upper face of the plate. A plurality of openings are in the ring segments and at least one of these openings is aligned with the second pair of openings in the elongate plate whereby the ring segments may be attached to the upper face of the plate by fastening means extending through at least one opening in each of the ring segments and the second openings in the plate. A riser extends substantially parallel to the incline of the roof and upwardly from the side of the ring segments opposite the plate, and the riser and ring segments have fastening means for attaching them together. A deck plate extends substantially horizontally from the inclined roof and on the top of the riser opposite the ring segments, and the riser and deck plate have fastening means for attaching them together.
In another principal aspect of the present invention, the ring segments have a plurality of openings spaced from each other along the length of the ring segments.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the openings in the ring segments are slots.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the riser is substantially triangular in outline.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck includes a plurality of the elongate plates, a plurality of the ring segments arranged in end to end relationship to each other and attached to each other, a plurality of the risers, and a plurality of the deck plates also arranged in end to end relationship to each other and attached to each other and to the risers.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, spaced openings are located adjacent to the ends of the deck plates, a splice plate having first openings spaced from each other and adjacent one longitudinal edge of said splice plate and second openings spaced from each other and adjacent the other longitudinal edge of said splice plate are provided, and fastening means fastens the splice plate between the riser and the openings adjacent to ends of the deck plates to splice adjacent deck plates together.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, at least some of the openings at either of the ends of the deck plates or in the splice plate are slots.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the deck includes a plurality of hand rails comprising substantially vertical posts attached at one end to the risers, and a plurality of horizontal rails attached to the posts toward other end of the post.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the ring segments flex to permit the ring segments to conform to the curvature of the roof.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the ring segments are substantially Z-shaped in cross section comprising an upper and lower flange extending in opposite directions from a web connecting the flanges, the lower flange including the openings in the ring segments, and the flanges including spaced slots which permit the ring segments to flex.
In still another principal aspect of the present invention, the generally cylindrical storage container is a grain bin.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily understood upon a consideration of the following detailed description.